1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus which performs recording of an original image on an image recording member. More specifically, the invention is concerned with a recording apparatus which is capable of determining whether the image to be recorded (recording image) is well matched in size with the image recording member, and which notifies an operator of the apparatus to that effect, if they are not well matched.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While conventionally known recording devices function to indicate a size and a shape of the image recording member, they do not have a function of indicating a size and shape of an original image to be recorded on the image recording member. (Throughout the present specification, the term "shape of the image" connotes both its size and its direction of lay-out). As the result, an operator of the device is required to compare by himself the shape of the recording image with that of the image recording member so as to make proper size-adjustment between both. For instance, in a recording apparatus having a function of carrying out the image recording by reducing or enlarging the size of the original image (i.e., magnification changing function), such size comparison has been very troublesome. That is, in case the image recording member is well conformed in shape with the recording image, the operator, after the comparison, instructs the recording apparatus to perform the image recording operation, while, in case both are non-conformed, he must change the image recording member to such shape that is conformed to the shape of the original image.
The changing operation as above-described, however, often brings about errors in the image recording, since selection of the image recording member is very complicated.
Further, conventional recording apparatus having the magnification changing function have been rather difficult to handle for the operator, because the operating panel of the device is fully occupied by various sorts of dials, buttons, and so on such as "recording start button", "recording stop button", "recording sheet number setting dial", "image density adjusting dial", and, in addition, "magnification changing instruction means" which designates magnification of the original image to be changed, or "magnification changing limiting means" which establishes the image size after the magnification changing, and others.
Furthermore, in the conventional electronic image reproduction apparatuses utilizing a photo-sensitive drum, even if they possess the magnification changing function, the direction in which the original image is to be laid on an image mounting table is limited to its lengthwise direction alone, and the original image placed on the image mounting table is scanned in its lengthwise direction. Even in case the length of the original image in its longitudinal direction is shorter than the breadth of the photosensitive drum, the original should be scanned, without exception, in the lengthwise direction thereof, hence the time required for the scanning operation becomes inevitably prolonged.